A cokpobation



H. H. ROOT.

FOUNDATION EASTENER.

APPLICATION man IAN-22. 1911.

1 ,32 1, 149. Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBER H. ROOT, OF MEDINA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. I. ROOT COMPANY, OF MEDINA,

OHIO, A CORPORATION. V 1

7 To all whom it may concern:

Bait known that I, HUBER H. Roo'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Medina, in the county of. Medina, and in the State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Foundation- 'Fasteners, and 'do'hereby declare that the of each strip are notches that when the ends are brought properly together interlock, and thus the strip, folded into a rectangle, keeps its shape and is ready for use. This folding and interlocking operation is per formed on what is known to the trade as a 'Root section press.

Before this sectioncan'be placed in a bee hive to be filled with honey by the bees a pieceof comb foundation'has to be inserted attached to one side of the section in the middle. This acts as a pattern on which the bees build'thecomb. It also prevents them from building the comb crosswise which they mightdo if allowed to build to build it of their'own accord. This comb foundation has been onthe market for the past thirty-five or fortyyears. There are various tools for attaching'this thin sheet-of waxto one side of the section,

' taining 'a' constant and even temperature,

because soot fromthe lamp often gets on'the hot-plate and is transferredto the white wood of the section spoiling its; appearance, and because it is disagreeable" and even.

' dangerous to work over thelampl Occasion FOUNDATION-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 11 1919, Application filed January 22, 1917. i Serial No. 143,617. 7

ally a little melted wax runs oil the hotplate and may drop. down on to the lamp, sometimes causing same to blaze up.

'. The object of my invention, broadly stated, is to obviatethe foregoing, obviously serious drawbacks to the plate machines, and to do so by instrumentalities that can readily be applled to those section presses ,(of which the Root press is a well known type) that are already in use, and for the attainment of these objects, and advantages which will be readily appreciated when the invention is more fully explained herein- I after, my said invention consists in the foundatlon fastener constructed substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

One form of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in 'which.

Figure l is aperspective view of a section press embodying my invention;

Fig, 2 is a like detail view thereof, from a different point; 1

Fig. 3-is a perspective detail view from still another point of view..

'The pressshown is a Root press, and consists of a supporting board or base lOthat is suspended from a wall by a suitable support so that in use it inclines outward and downward, and a section clamp that comprises a lower V-shaped bracket 11, in which 7 the folded section strip is placed, and a movable jaw or finger 1:2 that is situated opposite the angle of the bracket 11 and engages the notched ends of the strip and forces them together. The jaw or finger 12 is pivoted to a bracket 13 on the underside of the board l0,'and it has a long downward extension, or arm 14 that terminates at its-lower I.-

end in a horizontaltreadle 15 by which the foot .of the operator, sitting before the press may'swing the Clampj aw 12 to and, fro.

The stationary V-shaped clamp member 11, has at its: bottom a flange 16 which at opposite sides is attached to the board 10 by nuts and bolts 17 ,the bolts passingthrough horizontal slots18 to enable such lateral ad ustment of'the member 11 as is needful to suit the press to sections or boxes of somewhat diverse form. I use one of the:

bolt. and nut devices for the attachment of a downwardly eX-tendingarm 19 of heavy wire, or rod that is provided at its upper endwith a'floop or hook 20, to pass around the bolt, and at its lowerend hasan eye 21 V V free ends of the arm 23 is a three-sided frame 2% formed of metal pipe or tubing, preferably copper, the pipe extrem ties 26 at the open side. of the frame at being extended outward through the forks of the arm 23 to form the pivot and said extremities are, respectively connected to a sect-ion of flexible pipe 27 that leads to and supplies steam from a suitable source (such as a small boiler conveniently at hand) and a section of flexible pipe 28 that leads the steam from said frame 24, so that steam circulates, or passes through the frame. Attached to the pipe frame 26 parallel with the pivotal axis thereof, is a thin, flat metal plate 29 of a length something less than the sideof the honey section lying on one of the sides of the V-shaped clamp member 11, so that by the swinging of the forked arm 23 on its pivot bolt, said plate may be swung into and out of the honey section resting upon said clamp member 11, and by reason of the pivotal connection of the pipe frame 26 with said forked arm the plate may slide or pass in contact with and over the inner surface of said section lying upon the clamp member 11. A coil spring 30 is placed upon one of the pipe extremities 26, with an extension engaging the adjacent pipe frame and an extension engaging the adjacent fork of arm 23, and said spring yieldingly swings the plate toward such inner surface of the section side, the movement of the plate under the action of the spring being limited or controlled by a curved metal arm 31 secured at one end by the same bolt which clamps" or holds the fork-supporting arm 19. Tocause the swinging movements of the plate-carrying forked arm 23 to take place automatically and concurrently with the movements of the clamp jaw 12, I attach said arm 23 by a link 32 to the treadle member 14.

The plate 29 is, of course, heated by steam passing through the pipe frame 26. If then, a strip. or piece of wax foundation, or starter, as it is called, is placed by the operator within a folded honey section lying on the board 10, between the clamps 11 and 12, and with one edge contiguous tothe side of the section over which the plate travels, it will be evident that the advancing edge of the hot plate will touch or be touched by the edge portion of the wax starter, andmelt the same, so that if it then be pressed against the section side it will adhere thereto. Any surplus melted wax, by the sliding movement of the plate in its return, is

' wiped over the adjacent section side sur face, where it remains, audit will be'utilized by the bees, although not much 1s so disposed vof, for the melted wax in the larger part flows to the starter edge and acts to cement the starter firmly in position. Thus no melted wax is wasted It will be seen that by my invention, whereby steam is used to heat the plate, the latter is always at just the right temperature; there is no hot lamp, or stove to work over, for the lamp or stove 33 for gen-- erating the steam (which may be a single burner kerosene stove) maybe located a safe, comfortable distance away, since the steam is conveyed therefrom by the flexible supply tube 27; there isv no danger of soot getting on the sections; and the work is done conveniently, comfortably, rapidly and effi ciently. An important advantage in the use of steam, and the employment of the flexible discharge tube 28, is that it enables the moistening of the V-grooves in the section before they are folded, in a convenient and most efficient manner for the tube 28 can be handled to direct the jet of steam issuing therefrom, to said V-grooves, as the supply of straight strips lies, (as is customary), upon a support on the base boardlO, above the movable clamp jaw 12. The steam, by moistening the wood prevents the fibers of the wood from breaking, when the folds are made to give the strip the rectangular form of the section. The common practice is to moisten the wood with a wet sponge or brush,a procedure clumsy and slow, and fraught with danger because, un less care is taken, the wood will be made too wet with the result that it will swell, or thicken where the folds are made and thus prevent the section being given the necessary square shape at the corners.

Of course, my invention is applicable to the putting of wax comb foundation on brood frames, for which purpose the hot plate would be made longer than for sections, and it is to be understood that I include this application of it; and it is to. be understood that variation in the proportion and the construction of parts in other respects may be made without. involving any deathbed, my invention what placed therein, means movably connecting said platetosaid support, said plate having an attached steam passage, source of supply of steamian'd a. flexible connection between said sourceand said passage that permits movement of said plate, and means to move said plate toward and from the starter in the section or frame.

2. As an improvement in starter attaching devices, a starter engaging tool, means for supplying steam to said tool to heat the same, and a pipe having a steam outlet whereby steam may be applied to unfolded section strips.

3. As an improvement in starter attaching devices, a starter engaging plate, a pipe connected thereto, a pivotal support for the plate and pipe to which the pipe is pivi otally connected, a spring acting to move the pipe and plate in one direction, a guide 15 In testimony that I claim the foregoing 20 I have hereunto set my hand.

HUBER H. ROOT.

Copies of thil patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

